Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Fuzhou Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Fuzhou

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,320 in Barcelona versus $789 in Fuzhou.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,426 in Barcelona versus $1,255 in Fuzhou.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,532 in Barcelona versus $1,720 in Fuzhou.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 194% more expensive than in Fuzhou, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 74% above, Fuzhou is 41% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.46

$2.86 ¥19.30

517.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 €61.0

$23.34 ¥158

198.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.16 €12.40

$5.30 ¥35.84

167.17%

Cappuccino

$2.80 €2.45

$2.71 ¥18.34

3.32%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.81 €2.46

$0.43 ¥2.91

553.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.81

$0.25 ¥1.69

724.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.60 €4.03

$0.86 ¥5.83

434.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 €4.11

$1.69 ¥11.42

177.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.08

$1.78 ¥12.01

-30.90%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.32 ¥8.89

53.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$0.76 ¥5.10

160.53%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.05

$1.39 ¥9.40

151.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.33 €16.05

$11.72 ¥79.2

56.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.83 €8.61

$5.04 ¥34.08

95.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.13 €16.75

$13.48 ¥91.1

41.91%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.39

$2.26 ¥15.26

20.80%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 €2.09

$1.39 ¥9.42

71.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.84 ¥12.41

13.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 €2.41

$1.23 ¥8.34

123.58%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.72

$0.66 ¥4.48

196.97%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.57

$1.08 ¥7.32

65.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.29

$0.54 ¥3.62

174.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.80

$0.51 ¥3.46

78.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.25

$2.85 ¥19.28

150.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.90

$11.03 ¥74.5

-28.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

$0.74 ¥4.97

86.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 €2.09

$0.94 ¥6.36

154.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.01 €2.64

$0.27 ¥1.82

1014.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.35 €25.71

$41.22 ¥279

-28.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 €3.82

$1.38 ¥9.29

215.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.86

$0.28 ¥1.91

660.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.60 €25.93

$6.64 ¥44.84

345.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.60

$1.19 ¥8.03

52.94%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$37.9K €33.2K

$20.7K ¥140.2K

82.63%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$32.4K €28.4K

$17.5K ¥118.2K

85.09%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$189 €166

$38.61 ¥261

389.59%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$22.29 €19.52

$9.76 ¥66.0

128.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.16 €32.55

$7.45 ¥50.4

398.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €50.8

$45.58 ¥308

27.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.66 €18.09

$14.18 ¥95.8

45.70%

Cinema Ticket

$10.87 €9.52

$6.90 ¥46.63

57.54%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$706 €618

$223 ¥1,508

216.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K €13.0K

$9,409 ¥63.6K

58.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.4 €78.3

$53.9 ¥364

65.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.60 €32.06

$27.01 ¥183

35.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €91.1

$80.8 ¥546

28.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €105

$89.6 ¥605

33.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,579 €1,383

$355 ¥2,397

345.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 €1,084

$225 ¥1,519

450.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,712 €2,375

$834 ¥5,638

225.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 €1,786

$414 ¥2,801

392.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,527 €6,592

$4,609 ¥31.1K

63.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,239 €4,588

$2,258 ¥15.3K

131.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,364 €2,070

$969 ¥6,549

143.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

3.56

-4.78%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Barcelona: July 13, 2026

Last update for Fuzhou: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,579 in Barcelona and $355 in Fuzhou. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 144% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $70.0 in Barcelona vs $23.00 in Fuzhou for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $214 per month, with Fuzhou cheaper across the board.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Barcelona vs Fuzhou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Fuzhou differ by about 194% in total monthly costs ($2,320 vs $789 including rent). Fuzhou is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 144% higher in Barcelona, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,579 in Barcelona versus $355 in Fuzhou. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Barcelona versus $223 in Fuzhou. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 50% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $789 in Fuzhou versus $2,320 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Fuzhou but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Fuzhou the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Barcelona and Fuzhou are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Fuzhou gentler on the wallet – expenses run 194% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.